Rail joint bar



Patented June 13, 1939 PATENT OFFICE RAIL JOINT BAR Victor C. Armstrong, Short Hills, N. J., assignor to Poor & Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 25, 1938, Serial No. 198,115

4 Claims.

This invention relates to splice bars for connecting together the meeting ends of railway rails, and has for its general object to convert a rolled splice bar section of relatively light-weight and relatively low moment or strength into a bar having a materially increased moment and improved modulus along the medial rail-end supporting portions thereof.

There have been in use certain light-weight splice bar sections of the non-reinforced type which heretofore have satisfactorily functioned under predetermined traffic conditions and requirements but which could not safely be employed in certain track subject to heavy and fastmoving traic. To convert such light-weight sections into strong centrally reinforced splice bars is the special object of the present invention, either in the making of new bars, or in the reforming of old worn bars.

Accordingly, the present invention has more particularly in view a new splice bar construction of the same cross-sectional area throughout but having its middle or central portion stoutly reinforced at the outer side, and therefore materially improved at such portion as to its moment and modulus.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the v same consists in the novel splice bar construction hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a section of a basic splice bar section, showing by dotted lines, one form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a mid-sectional View of the new bar developed from the basic section shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the new bar formed from the basic light section of Fig. 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are illustrative of another form of the new bar.

Figures 6 and 7 are top and elevational Views respectively of the new type centrally reinforced splice bar shown in Fig. 5.

Figures 8 and 9 are views illustrative of a third form of the invention.

Figures 10 is a front elevation of the foot-reinforced splice bar section shown in Fig. 9.

As is Well known the ends of splice bars are subjected to less loading strain than the medial or central portions of the bars which support (Cl. 23S- 243) the rail ends, and taking that into consideration the present invention primarily has in View, as above indicated, to make a rolled splice bar section of relatively light weight and relatively low moment and strength, and of uniform cross sectional area throughout, having a materially increased moment and improved modulus along the medial rail end supporting portions thereof. This new bar possesses substantially greater strength at its middle rail end supporting portion than the basic section from which such bar is produced. In carrying out this object the invention provides for a strong centrally reinforced splice bar which is available for satisfactory use in rail subject to heavy and fast moving traffic and capable of satisfactorily resisting loads that the basic section from which the bar is made could not safely carry.

A primary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings showing a basic splice bar section comprising a bar web l, the bar head 2 and the bar foot 3, 'Ihis section is typical of a light-weight splice bar of the unreinforced type wherein the head of the bar 2 is of a relatively narrow width and the outer side ll of the bar is flat throughout its length and height to provide for the bolting face and has no provision for reinforcement of the bar at any point. According to the present invention the basic splice bar section designated in its entirety by the letter A is formed by the usual rolling operation producing the form and shape shown by the full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As a practical example of how to make this form of the invention, the rolled section A is then subjected, throughout its medial portion, which includes the middle bolt holes, to a pressing operation, in suitable dies, to provide for displacing metal from the inner side of the bar as indicated by the reference letter 5 and redistributing such displaced metal into an outwardly projecting medial rib formation, designated by the reference numeral 6 at the outer side of the head of the bar. This medial rib formation is conned to the central part of the bar, and the ends of said rib formation terminate a relatively short distance beyond the middle of the joint, that is, within or slightly beyond the vertical planes of the two middle bolt holes of the bar, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In carrying forward the invention the displaced metal from the inner side of the bar is in a location or locations where it is of minimum value with reference to the physical properties of the bar, particularly as to its moment and modulus, whereas, in re-locating or re-distributing that metal upon the outer side of the bar in the form of a reinforcing or strengthening rib 6 the metal in such new location very materially adds to the strength of the head of the bar and also substantially improves the moduli thereof. This resultant improvement in the strength and modulus of the bar and its denite reinforcement throughout the medial portion thereof, is, therefore, accomplished by the present invention without increasing the weight of the basic rolled bar section, and preserving its uniform cross-sectional area.

The full importance and practical advantages of the invention will be recognized by reference to other figures of the drawings wherein Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a second form of bar. For instance, in Fig. 4 of the drawings there is shown a basic form of rolled splice bar section which is of an improved type of construction, though of the light-weight type, for use under predetermined traflic conditions. This basic rolled section of Fig. 4 is shown to be for use preferably in a higher fishing than the section shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, but at the same time is also of the unreinforced type though having at the outer side of its foot a comparatively deep and short foot ange In carrying out the present invention this basic section of Fig. 4 may be made into a new splice bar of substantially improved strength and modulus by displacing from the inner side thereof metal of comparatively little value and redistributing it to the outer side of the bar, at its medial portion, into an outer rib formation 8 at the outer side of the head 2 of the bar and also into an extended foot flange 9 at the bottom of the bar. In this new redistribution of metal of the basic section as shown in Fig. 5 the displaced metal is largely from the bottom inner corner portion ID of the head of the bar and from the upper inside corner portion I I of the foot of the bar, as well as from the upper inner corner portion I2 of the outer foot of the bar, which metal from said locations I0, II and I2 is of relatively small value with reference to the strength and modulus of the bar, as compared with the much greater value given to the physical properties of the bar by the outward rib formations 8 and 9, as clearly shown by Fig. 5 of the drawings. In this redistribution of the metal it will be observed that the uniform cross sectional area of the bar is preserved throughout and displaced metal may also be taken from the inner side of the web of the bar toward the neutral axis where metal is of little or no value in calculating the physical properties of the bar. In Figures 6 and 7 are shown respectively top and elevational views of the new centrally reinforced bar produced according to the pressing operation visualized in Fig. 5.

By Way of further showing the scope of the invention, reference is made to the form of rolled bar shown in Figure 8 which may, according to the present invention, be advantageously materially improved as to the strength of its lower part below the neutral axis by displacing metal as indicated at I3 from the inner upper part of its foot and redistributing such metal into a central or medial reinforcing rib formation I4 at the bottom of the flat bolting face of the bar, as shown in Fig. 9. Such a bar reinforced centrally or medially at the outer side and lower edge thereof is shown in Figure 10 of the drawings.

In carrying forward this invention it will of course be understood that the basic rolled bar section may either be initially rolled or if already rolled and used in track may be reformed by the pressing operation herein referred to, and in any case the uniform cross sectional area of the bar remains the same throughout the medial portion of the bar as in the portions of the bar adjacent thereto. In that connection attention is drawn to the reference already made to the fact that the full importance and practical advantages of the invention are exemplified in the form thereof shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings which is a development from the rolled section of Fig. 4. It has already been pointed out that according to the Press ed medial section Rolled section. (Fig. 1;) Ftg. 5)

ist M B-14`.0 M B-1cf4 Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood, that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A splice bar of uniform cross-sectional area including a head, a base, and a web, said bar having a horizontally disposed medial strengthening rib extending outwardly from and longitudinally of the bar, the said rib being of lesser length from the bar and disposed at a substantial vertical distance from the horizontal neutral axis of the bar.

2. A splice bar of uniform cross-sectional area throughout including a head, a base and a web, and an elongated, horizontally disposed strengthening rib of metal of narrow height extending outwardly from the head and longitudinally therealong, said rib being of lesser length than the bar and being located medially of the bar.

3. A splice bar of uniform cross-sectional area throughout including a head, a base and a web, and an elongated, horizontally disposed strengthening rib of metal of narrow height extending outwardly from the base and longitudinally therealong, said rib being of lesser length than the bar and being located medially of the bar.

4. A splice bar of uniform cross-sectional area throughout including a head, a base and a web, and elongated, horizontally disposed strengthening ribs of metal of narrow height extending outwardly from and longitudinally along the head and the base, respectively, said ribs being of lesser length than the bar and being located medially of the bar.

VICTOR C'. ARMSTRONG. 

